Phenomenal Woman
by ThistleL
Summary: The five pilots were born female. They are the same and not. The mission remains the same: free the colonies using any means necessary. Including with giant robots and the very femininity their enemies believes makes them weak. 1x2 implied 3x4
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The title is from the poem "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou. I thought it was fitting all things considered.

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01

Her beauty was ultimately raw. All the materials were there – exotic blue eyes for her heritage – but all of her beauty unused because Dr. J deemed it unnecessary. She was slim and slight as her heritage demanded alongside the fierce fitness regimen she was held to.

None of that mattered though. Not now. Maybe not ever. Right now the only thing that mattered was the mission.

Always the mission.

Because she was the Perfect Soldier.

02

Hunger was the best teacher. It taught her to stick to the shadows, to be invisible to lessen the ache in her belly. Even now, when she had ample to eat, she could feel the echo of hunger eating her insides. This hunger, this starvation kept her body skinny and twig like. Dr. G said it was malnutrition. That she might never be what she was supposed to be. But that was okay. She could fit in tiny places with ease, including her cockpit. It was a fair trade. Her body for her life.

It also kept predators off her back.

Not all, but the ones who confused her with a boy did.

She was Shinigami.

03

Men don't notice women very often, especially the meek looking. To be seen, not heard and when not heard, forgotten. Her gender made it easier to be invisible, easier to disappear under men's eyes and with the government the way it was, women hardly looked at her either. Besides, she dressed as a man when she needed to.

It was easier than a man dressing as a woman.

Easier to appear harmless as well. Even if she was anything but.

04

She was the only daughter of an extremely wealthy man. Twenty-nine brothers. They all squabbled over being the heir to the vast Winner fortune. Many of them died. She only had nineteen now. And what set her apart from them - what made her special in their father's eyes - was her resemblance to their dead mother.

Beautiful. Delicate.

She became the heir amongst jealousy and envy of her brothers as proof of her father's love.

She grew to be ruthless in her kindness. A steel blade wrapped in velvet.

05

Her husband's word was law.

Her husband was dead.

She never had a choice.

She wrapped her medium length hair in a bun like how her mother taught her. (he loved to take it down and wrap in his fist) She had found a master, someone worthy to help her achieve her husband's goals. She begged her family for forgiveness every day, but she had to honor him in some.

She had to or she would be weak.

Worthless.

* * *

I am aware of many things, like the fact Shinigami is masculine and that girls aren't generally heirs. All will be explained in due time, it goes with the story. I promise. :) I'm keeping the names for these five the same, so no worries.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One: _We are building a religion...

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_

"I'm glad I found you."

The voice was smooth but young. Duo was reminded of gasoline in a puddle. Murky and oily. The owner of the voice and words stepped closer and Duo flinched. Her hand on the knife she had tucked in her skirt's waistband, hidden by the school jacket, in a flash. She disliked it when men, especially ones bigger than her, got too close. From where she was leaning against the computer terminal's wall divider, she could smell the boy's cologne. Duo relaxed her grip mildly on the knife when Heero didn't blink or pause in her typing at the computer. If the other girl didn't think he was a threat… She trusted the other girl's judgment but still kept wary. She kept her eyes on the blonde boy and her hand on the knife handle.

He looked vaguely familiar. Someone she had seen before. He wore the blue jacket with the school's crest, marking him a student at the current school they were hiding out at. His stance was tall and proud, hinting that he was used to being noticed and noted. He had wheat blonde hair tied into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck, thick eyebrows framing watery blue eyes. He didn't have the muscular body of a soldier, but Duo remained cautious. Strength was easy to disguise and something about this boy, despite his youth, reminded her of the men that would prey on the streets of L2.

The boy took a step forward; the boy's blue eyes trained on Heero alone.

His resemblance to a predator propelled her and Duo moved from leaning against the terminal's wall divider to standing directly behind Heero's chair. One hand resting on the back of the chair, the other hand on the knife. The Perfect Soldier paused momentarily, but Duo didn't notice. The blonde's eyes were on her now that she stood between him and his prey.

She wondered what the boy saw. Did he see what everyone else did? The girl in the blue school uniform with a long pretty cinnamon braid and easy smile? Or did he see the street rat from L2? The half starved little girl with a dirty face and greasy hair? She wasn't striking or curvy like the other girls her age. She didn't have a feminine figure due to the starvation she endured as a child, her body convinced it was still starving. She was small in stature from the same malnutrition and Dr. G preferred it that way, so he didn't fix it even though he could have. Over all, she presented the world with the image of a girl with too long hair that a hard wind could blow over. Unappealing to most men and boys unlike Heero.

Heero was beautiful. She had the striking eyes most girls would die for, framed by a chocolate pixie cut that Duo knew the girl cut without looking in a mirror (and Duo was beginning to suspect she didn't brush it either). And her figure was perfect for a fifteen year old girl. A reasonable chest compared to Duo's almost nonexistent one, the gentle curve of hips Duo didn't have enough fat on her frame to obtain, tan legs and strong arms both sculpted from running and push-ups. Someone men and boys looked over twice and remembered. Someone men and boys wanted.

A boy like the blonde glaring at her.

"Can you excuse us?" the boy asked with cool politeness.

"Sorry," Duo shrugged with an easy smile. "Buddy system. She's new here and I've been put in charge of her."

An expression flashed over the boy's face, an expression Duo was more than familiar with: irritation.

"I've known Heero for awhile. We're friends. I'll walk her back to the dorms, so she won't get lost." The boy said.

Duo hid her surprise at Heero's name but remained firm.

"Well, obviously you have her mistaken for someone else. This is Ayame." Duo said cheerfully. Her grip on the back on the chair tightened, the metal beginning to mold in her hand due to her strength.

"No, it's not." The boy said angrily, due to his confusion.

"Ren," Heero said flatly. "Enough."

Duo looked at the blonde boy with new eyes but no less hostility. Ren Darlian. Son of the murdered politician. Famous in his own right for his expressive views about the war. A boy used to getting what he wanted.

No wonder she hadn't recognized him. She had only met him once. She smirked at the memory of him throwing himself between her and Heero. Like that would have stopped her from killing Heero if she had really wanted to. It looked like Heero had an admirer. Duo smirked slightly.

"I just want to talk to you." Ren beseeched. "Alone."

"Amy is within her rights to remain." Heero dismissed. Duo glanced from Ren to the Japanese girl in surprise. She hadn't expected Heero to agree. "If you wish to use this terminal, we are done now." She scooted the chair back with her legs and Duo moved quickly to give the girl room to leave the terminal.

Heero didn't spare a glance at the blonde boy, but Duo did. His expression was dark – hurt and anger mixed in one. The braided girl made a promise to protect her partner's back. Heero might not understand the evil such a boy could be capable of, but Duo did. She didn't want her partner to befall the same fate the less fortunate girls on L2 did. _Even though_, Duo thought with more cheer, _Heero is more than capable of kicking Superman's ass._ It never hurt to have an extra set of eyes, right?

"Did you get what we needed?" Duo asked.

Her braid swung side to side while they walked down the hall towards their dorm room. Heero walked besides her, leaving a foot between them. With an inner cackle, Duo closed the distance down to an inch. Heero's azure eyes flickered at the closing distance – the only sign of her unease – before looking forward once more.

"We'll check it out tonight." Heero confirmed.

"Around when?" Duo asked.

"2330 hours." Heero answered.

Duo calculated the amount of time would take to do their homework and prepare for the mission. She nodded happily when she was able to fit a nap into the schedule. She hated staying up all night and then attending class on three hours of sleep. It was hard to pretend to be cheerful and happy when you wanted nothing more than to crawl in a hole and die.

The mission this time was to investigate a government operated lab and safely destroy it. The scientists were vague on what the lab was creating, but they had given this mission the high level of security. All five of the Gundam pilots were to be involved.

Duo and Heero had been sent undercover at the private school across from the base. Their part in the plan was to investigate the lab and learn what was the military scientists were creating if possible. Hence the reason Heero had been hacking the computer at the terminal with Duo guarding her back. They needed more layouts and building plans than Trowa had been able to provide.

Trowa was already stationed at the lab as a secretary, faxing files to Quatre to figure out what was being developed as well as supplying the two masquerading students with as much information as she could get away with. Wufei was in charge of transporting the Gundams so they could effectively destroy the lab and whatever weapon they were trying to develop. A fun mission all in all.

The Japanese girl unlocked their door and left it open for Duo to follow.

The room was the standard for these boarding schools. Two beds, two dressers, two desks and a nice view. This school though was also fancy enough to supply private bathrooms. A total perk for the long haired girl. She didn't particularly like washing that much hair in public showers. It left her vulnerable for too long.

"What do you think about the mission?" Duo asked for the sake of filling the silence.

Heero graced her with an irritated look before sequestering herself in the private bathroom.

Good God.

The other girl's attitude left a lot to be desired, Duo thought grumpily. Every since the fateful day they had met, the scientists had paired them together. Dr. G had mentioned something about their methods being compatible. Secretly, Duo believed it was because Dr. G had bet Duo could give the other girl a personality. Not that she had succeeded yet, besides the bastard deserved to lose the bet for playing with her life this way. She preferred working alone over working with Miss Perfect.

The shower started, the water hitting the tile in a sound similar like white noise.

Huffing, Duo threw herself on the bed.

Except Duo's very nature was poking her to teach the other girl about being normal, or at the very least teach her to be capable of more than two key expressions.

That was probably the reason Heero had broken her wrist and gave her strange looks whenever she penetrated the girl's zone of comfort, Duo mused. It was probably a really, _really_ good thing Duo didn't back away from challenges. And that she had an outlier way of thinking. And was most likely masochistic.

She giggled and then her giggle exploded into laughter.

That would explain why she crawled into a cockpit the size of a closet and always had bruises decorating her skin like mismatched quilt when she could be playing dolls or whatever normal fifteen year old girls did.

Later, after night had fallen and Heero left the bathroom in a cloud of steam, they dressed in their mission clothes and infiltrated the base. If boys were drooling over Heero in the school uniform that covered a majority of their skin in long-sleeves, skirts to their knees and high socks, Duo could only imagine what they would do if they saw Heero in the spandex black shorts and a tight green tank top. _Maybe they would combust?_ She snickered, ignoring the confused and exasperated look Heero sent her. She would have to arrange a completely random sighting of Heero in the get up; then again, Heero could end up with another Ren.

Duo compared the pros and cons while waiting for Heero to cut through the chain link fence.

Compared to the other girl, Duo was dressed conservatively. She wore an imitation of a priest's outfit including the flash of white around her throat. Nothing like what Heero wore. Ruefully, Duo wondered if that was another thing that separated her from the rest of her sex.

"Duo." Heero prodded.

Duo started and gave the girl a sheepish smile before following Heero through the hole in the fence. The moment she passed through the metal barrier, she became all business. Mostly.

Heero lead the most of the way, having studied the layout more intensely. Not that Duo minded. If being the leader in this little expedition made Heero happy, then she could lead. Duo didn't mind. Heero had to wait for her in the end, so she could unlock the doors. Heero could break down doors without breaking a sweat. Heero's skill with a lock pick? Not even close to Duo's. Something the thief was immensely proud of.

Flashing a hand to her braid and back again, Duo began to work on the door. Heero stood a few feet away, eyes surveying the area, gun in hand. The door clicked and Duo pushed it open slowly, her gun in hand and ready to shoot if need be.

The mission demanded no one know of their presence and dead bodies usually screamed intruder. The guns were only a precaution.

She scurried down the hall, Heero glaring at the back of her head. Duo smirked to herself while she mentally drew the maps in her head. The door leading to the labs was further down the hall down the stairs. Tonight, however, they would be investigating the rest of the building. Duo didn't really want any surprises when the sneaked into the lab.

_Wonder if I can leave Trowa a surprise tomorrow without Miss Perfect getting on my case? _Duo glanced at the office Trowa had informed them she worked in thoughtfully, perhaps for a moment too long, because Heero pushed her forward with an small growl. Duo could just hear the insult the Japanese girl didn't dare utter, "_Stupid_." Duo scowled at her mental Heero. She was such a bitch.

Duo held back her laugh at her silliness and followed Heero. It looked like Miss Social Inept would be rediscovering her emotions, if she spent enough time with Duo. Sadly, their mission would be over within the week. Duo would have loved seen the changes occur in the girl.

They entered the first door and found another office. Duo left Heero to accessing the computer. Even though her own hacking skills weren't exactly bad, Heero's were definitely better. Too bad no one else could read her mind or else she would have so gotten maturity points for admitting that. Duo watched the computer screen illuminate the Japanese girl's face in a pale light and for a moment, Duo forgot herself.

The blue light had cast the Japanese girl in a softer light. She had looked gentle for a moment, softer. Heero had looked so unlike the fierce girl she really was that Duo forgot to breathe for a moment. It was like she was looking at a completely different girl.

She hated it. She hated how the light tried to bend Heero into something else, into someone she clearly wasn't. Heero would always be strong, wild, vicious. And she would kill whoever made Heero otherwise.

The sudden clack of the keyboard broke Duo from the spell the blue light had cast. She began to rummage through the folders, careful to put everything back in its original place. Most of what she gleaned from the files was requests for more medical supplies and rats. Duo cocked her head to the side as she thought. They're making something, but what? A virus? A vaccine? Another way to build super humans like Heero? Or was it something completely unrelated to the lab's true purpose?

After thirty minutes of thoroughly snooping through the office, Duo left Heero to check out the office across the hall. She found nothing except for medical files. Duo gave the office a doubtful glance. So far, all the "lab" seemed to be was a free clinic. To be sure, Duo opened a file at random and read it.

Nothing out of the ordinary. No military background. No bizarre injuries. It only had records for flu vaccines.

Grabbing another file, Duo skimmed it. More of the same. Only records of vaccines.

She grabbed another file and it wasn't until she read a sixth file she realized the pattern. They all received the different vaccines for the same flu.

That wouldn't have been so odd on its own, but the medical records contained nothing else. Just records of what vaccines each person took.

"Duo, time to go." Heero whispered in the still room.

Duo nodded absent mindedly and put the files away hurriedly.

There wasn't anything terribly sinister about a clinic giving vaccines, was there? The worry nudged her, memories of a time sickness stole lives.

"Heero, I think I found something." Duo hissed to the girl on their way out.

Heero nodded to confirm she head Duo and continued leading the way, locking doors as they went. They went out the same way they got in, through the chain link fence. Heero waited patiently as Duo twisted metal wire around the disconnected wires of the fence to give it the appearance of being whole. A trick she had learnt from her old gang.

Glancing at her watch, Duo winced at the time. It would take at least thirty minutes to get back to the school on foot and an hour for debriefing if Heero was feeling especially chatty. If she was lucky, she will be crawling into bed while the sun peeked over the horizon.

Lady Luck must've been smiling because Duo found herself tucked into bed even sooner than she had estimated. The sound of Heero's typing lulled her into a half slumber, a place between sleeping and waking.

The next two days passed without incident, but on the fourth day of their mission, problems arose.

"Hey, Ren." Duo greeted the blonde at her dorm door cheerfully. "Ayame isn't in right now. She's getting us lunch."

"Actually, Amy, I wanted to talk to you." Ren smiled and pushed himself into the room.

Duo's teeth were instantly on edge. Ren closed the door to a sliver with the strange smile on his face.

"You see, I've wanted to talk with Heero for a long time," Ren said. He spoke quietly and the hair on the back of Duo's neck stood up. She grabbed her knife from her waistband and spun it in her hand, making sure he caught the glimpse of metal. "I just know if she talks to me, she'll realize we're meant to be together." Duo stared at the blonde. He hadn't even noticed her knife! Worry flooded her.

In a fight, she wouldn't hesitate to wiggle the knife in between his ribs. The only problem was he was a civilian and for all intents and purposes, on their side. He was too valuable of a resource to kill. She could maybe take him in hand to hand combat; she was no doubt stronger and knew more moves than he did. It was his size that worried her. Her ninety-five pounds to his estimated one hundred-eighty… all it would take would be one lucky hit for him to pin her. She shuddered slightly at the memory of what happened the last time she let herself get pinned and then blondie began speaking again.

"I want you to leave Heero alone." Ren ordered. "She's mine. I don't care what she is to you. She's mine."

Duo recalled Heero's cold dismissal of Ren the previous day and knew what the boy was saying was untrue, but he seemed to believe it.

"If she wants me to, I will." Duo said instead. She couldn't lie or else she would have. She wanted the bastard to leave.

"She will." Ren said smugly. "I don't know if you've noticed "Amy," but she doesn't exactly like you."

_Yeah, have you looked in a mirror?_ Duo shot back mentally. She ignored the sting the words carried. Duo had known Heero didn't like her, but it was a work in progress! Better than where Ren stood anyways.

"Fine, now go." Duo agreed.

_I agreed to leave Heero alone, only if she says so though! Take that!_

Ren invaded her space and without thinking, Duo step back and fell into a loose defensive stance. She could smell the mint from his toothpaste and mouthwash. Entirely too close for comfort.

"Good girl," he breathed and turned to leave.

Duo dimly heard the door click shut. Ren's breath had been hot and sweaty on her face. Like that man's from before. He had breathed on her cheek and breathless said those very same words, "_Good girl_." She squeezed her eyes shut hard and tried pulling herself back from the edge.

She didn't know how long she spent holding her knife tightly, breathing in deep. _Just breathe, just have to breathe_, she kept reassuring herself. Lost in her breathing exercises, she didn't hear the door open and close a second time. The floor creaked and Duo looked up sharply and right into Heero's azure eyes.

"Heero!" Duo greeted with some instant cheer. Kind of like instant oatmeal. "I didn't expect you back so soon!"

Heero stayed silent for so long, her head tilted in confusion that Duo thought for a moment Heero would pushed the subject. Thankfully, the girl dropped her line of thinking and showed Duo the plastic bag of take-out.

"I got you extra," Heero informed Duo curtly. "You need to eat more."

Duo smiled slightly, but more real than she had been. "Thank you."

Yes! She was slowly growing on Heero, like mold on a bathroom wall.

"Trowa encountered problems at the lab." Heero told Duo quietly. "She had to leave. "

Duo blinked, her fork in the air. That shouldn't have been possible. Trowa was amazing at infiltration. She could pretend to be an OZ soldier no problem, she could pretend to be some politician's girlfriend and when she tried to be a secretary it just didn't work? What the hell?

"What happened? Is she okay?" Duo asked with some worry.

"Quatre looked into the formulas for the vaccines like you suggested," Heero began grimly. "Quatre found some discrepancies. She ordered Trowa not to get the injection under any costs and today the lab tried forcing all of their employees to take the drug. She got out safely and is on her way out of the city, but it is safe to say whatever plans the lab had are now in effect."

Duo hissed, "Biological warfare."

"It's the general census that the lab was developing a virus to –"

"To gas out the colonies." Duo finished for Heero. "They were going send people infected with the drug to the colonies and watch them all die." The image of Solo flashed in her mind before she pushed it away. Today was not a good day for memories. No day was.

"We will return to the lab tonight and see if we can find the original formula and data to send to Quatre and the scientists. Perhaps they can make a cure." Heero said.

Duo looked at her food, her appetite vanishing. Another plague…

Heero didn't comment on her sudden loss of appetite, but did give side glances that Duo couldn't place.

That night, they were armed with heavy explosives along with their guns. The mission had changed, gather more data and destroy the remains of the virus. They ripped through the mended fence like it was butter. Their footfalls were silent and when they encountered life in the building, Shinigami efficiently killed the man or woman. The men and women Shinigami's eyes didn't spot first died by the Perfect Soldier's hands.

The threat to their colonies was too great for the playful atmosphere from the previous nights. The colonies would be quarantined. The military would refuse to allow anyone off until the virus killed everyone. There would be no hope. There would be no point to the Gundam pilots, except as vengeful angels.

Heero shot the door keypad next to the basement door and it fried. The door didn't budge. Heero grunted very unladylike and kicked the door twice, her kick pushing the door right down. Duo followed the girl down the stairs, her gun at the ready to kill anyone daring to threaten her partner.

Three shots rang in the air; three dead bodies hit the ground.

Heero immediately began searching the papers and Duo began wrapping vials in her school jacket so they wouldn't break. It would be easier for a cure to be developed if they could see it in its purest form. They worked together like a well oiled machine. Heero went to the computer and began searching the computer as well. She saved the files she could find, or so Duo presumed if the small portable machine Heero had linked to the computer meant anything.

That's when Duo allowed the unforgiveable to happen.

Two scientists had hidden under a table, feet from rows and rows of the vials containing the virus and previous models of the virus. Duo only saw one of them for the corner of her eye before a scientist ran right at the vials, shaking the vials unto the floor and breaking open. The other went towards the back of the room were the computers were, swift to type in a command.

A classic diversion: I'll go kill myself. You set the lab to explode.

Duo felt like laughing until she cried, but she viciously crushed the bubbles of laughter. She shot the scientist that had entered the denote command and turned to Heero. Heero who had been standing directly under the vials and was now drenched in fluid. Heero blinked twice at Duo and crumbled.

"Shit!"

Duo hurried to her partner's side while the computer counted down from sixty. She situated the other girl so she could pick her up with some sort of ease and moved on quick feet to get out of the basement and lab, uncaring that the virus was seeping through her clothes. She had to save Heero first, and then she'd worry about what may or may not happen to herself.

Taking a grenade out from her side pocket, Duo pulled the pin and tossed it into the lab. What she had managed to read was the virus wasn't airborne. The scientists hadn't reached that stage yet, the reason they had been injecting it unsuspecting people and government agents. It had to pass through body fluids. Like blood and sexual fluids.

How it got to those places however…that was the scary part.

Duo only worried that Heero had gotten it in her mouth or if it had been absorbed through her skin. She didn't know what she could or would do if that was the case…

Shinigami reared her head once more, another bomb taking care of some soldiers marching down a hall. Duo went the opposite way and gazed at a window with some interest. Using her gun, Duo broke the glass and climbed out. As a farewell present, she sent the rest of her bombs rolling.

She rushed to get further from the lab, the detonation and bombs likely to make a big boom.

She wasn't let disappointed. Duo was hardly clear of the fence before the force of the explosion threw her and Heero down.

Duo began to laugh, clutching her unresponsive partner.

_Don't you want bang bang bang bang?_ Running through her head.

* * *

Any errors are my own. I've tried catching them all, but my errors seem natural to my brain. If you catch any, I'd appreciate if you inform me! Hopefully this fic will live up to expectations. I will try making the chapters all long or at the very least decent and the relationships believable along with developing unique characterizations that come with pilots being female. Don't freak if they aren't immediately apparent. This fic should be a pretty decent length.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: _We are building it bigger_

She couldn't remember dragging Heero back to their dorm room. That should have worried her more than it didn't. Under normal circumstances, Duo would have been extremely concerned and frantic that her body was reacting on its own, but the circumstances weren't normal. One moment Duo had been admiring the stars flat on her back, clutching Heero's unconscious body, waiting for explosion to stop rattling in her ears and the next moment she was in their dorm room looking for a place to set Heero.

She finally decided on the bed. She arranged the girl comfortably and after staring at her for a long dazed moment, went to the bathroom to do what she should have done to begin with, short of contacting CDC. She turned the faucets to start a cold shower.

A hot shower would open Heero's pores allowing her to absorb the virus. Something dangerous since Duo had to keep the virus from entering Heero's bloodstream as much as possible. She came back and found the take-out bag. Duo promptly went about stripping Heero of her drenched clothes and stuffing them in the plastic bag.

Heero looked less human bare than she did clothed and Duo had to shake herself. _She looks like an angel._ Duo observed the girl, allowing the memory of her failure to crash around her before she shook herself again. Where was her head today? Could she do nothing fucking right? She couldn't – shouldn't –do this right now. Heero wasn't _dead_. And Duo couldn't treat her like she was. _Because Heero can't die. How many times has she tried and how many times has she failed? God doesn't want you, Heero. You can't die. _

Why was it every time she turned around, she made less sense?

A noise from Wing's pilot broke through Duo's thoughts. Checking on the girl, Duo estimated that Heero was only partially awake. Her azure eyes opened slightly. She was maybe mobile enough, however, to make Duo's job of washing the girl easier.

_Would leaving my clothes on be counterproductive?_ Duo considered the question seriously and then began peeling off her clothes leaving only leaving her underwear. Her outer clothes were contaminated with the virus and she didn't want to chance making Heero uncomfortable by getting in the shower naked.

Then again, when had Heero ever cared about modesty?

She stuffed the clothing in the bag and tied the plastic bag closed. Duo put the bag in the small trashcan next to Heero's desk and tied that bag closed as well. She would have to dispose of it later, along with the blankets and sheets Heero was laying on, but for now that had to enough. She would have to remember to flip the mattress.

"I really hope you don't end up hating me for this," Duo mumbled to the other girl.

The girl moaned slightly.

Picking up the naked girl, Duo carried her to the cold shower. Heero gently batted at her hands forcing Duo to strengthen her grip. Even when Heero was weak she was considerably stronger due to her unique genetics. Duo wasn't sure how she could wash off the virus for sure, or if her idea would even work. She never had to possess the knowledge before. But she had to try.

"Heero? Can you stand up for me?" Duo asked the girl.

Duo allowed the girl to stand on her two feet for a moment, but she swayed dangerously, deciding Duo's actions. Duo climbed into the shower first and helped the short haired girl with the ledge. Holding Heero in the slippery water was tough but turning Heero to face the wall, Duo was able to catch her balance. She guided Heero's hands to the wall so she could hold herself up while Duo went about getting the soap ready.

Taking the body wash, Duo furiously began washing the girl. She was extremely attentive to the spots the virus had touched and even washed Heero's hair. Normally, Duo would have been blushing like crazy despite her crude manner of acting, but the weakness in the other girl reminded her that Heero could die if she wasn't careful to wash away the virus.

After fifteen minutes, Duo had to pull the other girl out. It wouldn't help if the other girl to get a cold. That would only weaken Heero's immune system. She took one of the fluffy towels and Heero's tired eyes watched her as she patted her dry. Duo blushed slightly when it came to the other girl's privates, but Heero's gaze never changed or indicated she was uncomfortable.

_Then again, dummy, you did just give her a shower in your underwear. Of course Heero wouldn't care you're drying her. You've already seen her at her worst!_

When the girl was dry, Duo wrapped Heero in the clean comforter. Heero's behavior was strangely docile and Duo pushed her fears away. Running a quick hand throw the chocolate brown hair, Duo smiled down at her and checked the blankets to make sure the girl wouldn't get too cold.

"I'll be right back," Duo told her. "I'm going to wash up."

Duo waited for Heero's nod of comprehension and then went to finish her shower.

She scrubbed her skin and hair until her skin was red and her hair felt coarse. The soap was lemon scented and in her misery, Duo wished she had badgered Heero into getting a sweeter one. Vanilla would have been soothing on her frayed nerves right about now.

Leaving the shower before a chill could enter her bones, Duo dried off and got dressed in loose fitting clothes. She resisted the temptation to leave her hair in a wet and tangled mess and roughly ran a brush through the long strands. She uncaring pulled out multiply hairs and when her hair was smooth enough, she braided it rapidly. Tying the end off, Duo went to cheek on Heero.

Heero's eyes were closed and an unhealthy flush settled on her cheeks. The slight sheen of sweat was also on her face. Putting the back of her hand the girl's forehead and cheeks, Duo's worry reared its ugly head again. It felt like the girl had a fever.

_She got the full dose; she was contaminated by the virus in its purest form._

Chewing the wet tail of her braid, Duo began to make plans on contacting Quatre and getting the vials to her as soon as possible as well as "borrowing" things to help Heero's fever.

A tall order for the girl who didn't want to leave Heero alone for a moment.

She eyed Heero's precious laptop, and after seeing azure eyes still closed, she grabbed it. It was the in predawn hours and she couldn't afford the suspicions visiting the computer terminal would create. God only knew how long they would be stuck here while Heero recovered. They couldn't afford to move her to a safe house with the other pilots. That would only contaminate the others and they were still at war, even if one of their own were down.

Logging on to the proper channels, Duo went about sending a message to Quatre. She didn't skimp on the details and told the blonde exactly how compromised they were. Sending all the information Heero had gathered on the portable, Duo could only thank her lucky stars that the device wasn't damaged from the moisture or explosion.

Next, Duo sent a message to Dr. J and Dr. G informing them the two would be out of commission until further notice. She left out the details in those particular messages. Sensing more than anything that they would order Duo to leave Heero behind and get out of the city. As much as the doctors seemed to trust Heero's abilities, Duo didn't think they understood that the girl was still human.

But Duo did. The reminder was the frail body being consumed by a fever.

"I'm gonna be right back, okay Heero?" Duo asked Heero, mostly to fill the silence than to inform the girl of anything. "I've gotta get rid of these blankets and clothes."

When the girl didn't say anything back, Duo bundled the blankets up in a way so that none of the damp spots would touch her skin or clothing. She grabbed the plastic bag of contaminated clothing and threw them out the window, easily following. She disposed of the bedding and clothing in at an apartment complex, a good eight blocks from the school. She refused to leave any sort of trail for OZ to link back to them. Heero's safety was the utmost importance as of now. No trails. Absolutely nothing could betray their presence in the city.

She re-entered the dorm room through the window and locked it. A cursory glance at Heero proved to Duo nothing had changed while she took care of things.

Turning off the lights, so Heero could be more comfortable, Duo kept a silent watch over the room and her partner.

The sun drifted up, reminding Duo she forgot to close the blinds. The sun felt warm on her face, an angel's touch. An undeserving moment of peace.

Changing from her loose clothing, Duo prepared for her day of errands. Today was unfortunately a Thursday. A Thursday wasn't as bad as say, a Monday, but they weren't the prime day of the week for skipping class and running personal errands. Only one thing truly concerned her: Heero.

_I can only hope Heero will be okay for an hour…_

"Heero," Duo said to the sick girl in the most soothing tone she could manage. "I've gotta go mail some stuff to Quatre, completing the mission, ya know? And then I'm gonna pick up some meds to help bring down your fever. I'm gonna leave some water on the nightstand. I'm gonna try being back as soon as I possibly can."

Duo smoothed Heero's sweaty hair, scratching the scalp gently. It had been a long time since Duo had been sick enough to need someone, but when she had been, Sister Helen had been there. She remembered the kind woman holding her at night, soothing away her fever with kind words and excess water. The scalp rub was one of the many things Duo remembered Sister Helen doing to ease Duo back into sleep and Duo could only hope that it was doing the same for Heero.

Heero didn't respond to Duo's chatter, not that Duo had expected her to. The somewhat conscious Heero from the previous night had vanished leaving an unresponsive doppelganger in her place.

Recalling more of Sister Helen's actions, Duo kissed the girl on the forehead.

"I'll see you later, Heero!" Duo called over her shoulder with some forced cheer.

If Heero could hear her, which was a pretty big if, Duo didn't want the other girl to worry because Duo was worried. For all she knew, she could be worrying over nothing.

_But that isn't likely, now is it?_ Her treacherous mind reminded her.

She closed their door and bent to lock it, wary of another unscheduled appearance by Ren. She didn't trust the boy's intentions one bit and in Heero's weakened state, she couldn't fight back. Slipping the key into a pocket, Duo turned and began walking down the hallway.

First she had to inform the nurse that Duo and Heero would be unable to attend class for the next two days due to illness. Something that wasn't a lie. Duo had no illusions about her vulnerability. The virus had taken hold of her. She could feel it in her body, like a snake coiling and waiting to strike.

It was only a matter of when. She could only pray to a God she didn't believe in and deity known for taking away souls she would be well enough to care for Heero until then.

"Nurse Reid?" Duo ventured.

A woman in a white coat and flat blonde hair looked up, circles under her eyes. She was wearing a blue face mask over her nose and mouth and Duo had a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Yes?" Nurse Reid prompted, her tone hurried.

"My roommate and I have come down with the flu." Duo began. Thankfully she didn't have to go any further.

"Yes, of course. Everyone seems to have gotten. It's those damn finals. I told the school that scheduling them all on the same day was asking for trouble." Nurse Reid nodded, obviously distracted. "Take the next two days and the weekend to rest. If the symptoms aren't cleared up by Monday, come and visit me. I'll inform your teachers."

"Thank you," Duo beamed, but not too much. She just told the nurse she was sick. She didn't want to appear like a child trying to ditch class by giving off too much energy.

She was waved away by the nurse and Duo hurried her way from the small office. The nurse's distracted manner belied more than a simple over worked school nurse. Narrowing her eyes in thought, Duo considered the possible reasons. One of the solutions she came up with was not pleasant.

The scientists at the lab couldn't have infected children, could they? They would have no way of knowing if the children would be visiting the colonies. Unless, OZ had been willing to sacrifice the residents of the city to test out their virus, to test its effectiveness. It would explain why the lab had been forcing their employees to take the 'vaccine.'

Duo sighed and let the dark thoughts leave her with her exhaled breath. She had a mission to complete. Hopefully by finishing it, Heero would be able to relax into a more fitful slumber.

The trip to the post office had been rapid and smooth. The package full of the virus and formula schematics would be in Quatre's hands within twenty-four hours. Duo tried not to put all her hope into the blonde finding a cure. It would take months for such a thing to happen. The only thing Duo could hope for was to escape the disease with her life. She had done it once, she could do it again.

On her way to a popular drug store, Duo acquired some cash from careless pedestrians. Her original plan had been to merely steal the items she required, but the trip to the nurse's office encouraged her otherwise.

The store had the classic fluorescent lights that made Duo squint her eyes before she became acquainted with the dim lights compared to the sunshine outside. She quickly walked towards the right side of the store, the side of the store that held up signs declaring medication and toothbrushes were located in aisle thirteen.

_I promised Heero I'd be back soon_, Duo worried. _I hope she's okay._

She zeroed on the colorful boxes. She carefully read the back of each box claiming to help relieve fevers before simply deciding to get two boxes along with some pills also claiming to help fevers. She hesitated over the cough drops, unsure if Heero's illness could progress that way and decided to get the lemon and cherry cough drops. If she didn't need them, well, it wasn't her money, now was it?

Her next stop at the store was to pick a thermometer, a cold compress and orange juice. Hadn't she read somewhere orange juice was supposed to be good for sick people? With that in mind, she grabbed two cartons. Duo would have liked to get her partner soup or something else easy to eat, but they didn't have a microwave in their room. Recalling what Sister Helen stuffed her with, Duo did pick out different flavors of applesauce, oatmeal (it could easily be made with hot water from the sink) and crackers. Changing her mind about the soup while she eyed a bowl and silverware set, she grabbed that too. The very last thing she grabbed, mindful of how heavy the bags would be, was straws.

When she reached the register, an older man smiled. Tentatively, she smiled back.

"Someone at your house sick?" he asked.

"One of my friends," Duo confirmed, mindful not to lie. "I'm in charge of making sure she gets better."

_Which is true_, she thought ruefully. _I'm all Heero's got right now._

"Well, then, I hope she gets better." The cashier smiled and then told her total which she paid evenly.

"Thank you." Duo nodded with a polite smile.

She grabbed the five bags and she brushed off the cashier's surprised expression. If it had been possible to hide her true strength, she would have but Heero had been left alone for nearly two hours and she was anxious to get back to the dorms to check on her.

The walk back to the dorms was an easy one and she slipped her groceries and body through the window, not wanting to deal with the other students in corridor. Besides, what begged more questions than a bunch of oddly protruding plastic bags?

"Hey, Heero." Duo greeted cheerfully. "Told ya I'd be back, didn't I?"

A glance at the bed informed Duo Heero must've moved. The blankets were ruffled and the glass on the bedside table was empty. "Thirsty?"

Duo placed her bags on the cleared desk. She unbagged them and put her efforts in a loosely organized manner on the table. She put the plastic bags in a drawer for some undefined purpose that belonged in the future. Next, she went about refilling Heero's water glass and inserting a straw for easier access.

Having done all that, Duo grabbed two white pills and brought them to Heero.

It was a happy surprise to see Heero's eyes open, slits but open. Duo beamed at her and winced when she felt her smile come on a little too strongly. "Time for your pills, Hee-chan."

The look Heero gave her was more expression than the other girl usually wore. It gave Duo a warm sense of accomplishment. Then again, it could the disease using Heero's body as playground that brought forth such a might expression, but Duo was an optimist.

Chuckling slightly, Duo helped Heero sit up slightly so she could swallow the pills without choking. Only after the brunette had swallowed both pills and drank the entire glass of water did she allow her to rest back against the pillow.

"When you wake up next, we'll take your temperature." Duo informed her.

Heero sent her baleful glare and the shroud of worry Duo had previously wrapped herself in seemed pretty silly. If Heero was able to glare at her, then she okay. Maybe not optimal but okay.

"Go to sleep Hee-chan," Duo ordered.

The glaring girl glared for a few seconds more, as if to prove she could and was choosing to sleep rather than being order, and settled down and closed her eyes.

The fierceness Duo had noticed was lurking in the other girl – dormant for now – but still there. It gave Duo a thin sliver of hope to cling to.

Settling herself on the chair next to Heero's bed, Duo took up watch once more.

_Quat, I hope you can work fucking miracles. If you can, I'll do anything you want. _

_Anything. _

* * *

The house sandwiched between three large trees on Hamilton Drive had been empty for three years. The neighbors on both sides would sigh at the eyesore periodically, but the asking price for the house was too steep, scaring away most potential buyers. Mrs. Adder liked the house's two story build and ivy growing on the outside. She often jogged past the house to admire the ivy, wishing she could grow some herself.

Today's jog around the neighborhood was different.

Her eyebrows raised, Mrs. Adder watched a large moving truck park outside the empty house. The moving men that had come with the truck, and the ones who arrived a little later in white vans, began to unload the truck rapidly. Most of what was being unloaded was computers and whiteboards. The Middle Eastern packers also moved in a lot of steel tables and chairs. _The new neighbor must be one of those fad lovers_, Mrs. Adder thought distastefully. When would everyone learn steel did not make homely furniture?

Disgusted with the latest fashion trends, Mrs. Adder continued her jog. She never got to see the lovely young woman stepping out of a car with blonde, almost white hair or the large Middle Easter man with her. If she had, Mrs. Adder would have stopped for a chat, hoping to charm the obviously wealthy woman. As it was, Quatre Winner entered her new home with a hint of a frown.

"Not what you were expecting, Miss Winner?" The man questioned his mistress.

"No," Quatre shook her head. "It's exactly what I was expecting. It's just, it's kind of big."

The man chuckled and looked over the young woman he had been guarding for the past few years. She was of medium height like her late mother with blonde hair to her chin. She had the regal beauty of both her parents and not for the first time, the man wondered if his mistress was a descendant of royalty. It would certainly explain why the blonde was so fearless when it came to fighting in the war.

"I believed Miss Trowa would be joining us." He said.

Rashid had been with the girl since she was twelve, almost three years now. He had mistakenly taught her how to use a gun and her hands to defend herself, so when a scientist with the promise of freeing the colonies found her, Quatre Winner was already capable of defending herself. Although, he would admit, she got all the more dangerous after the scientist was through with her. Her heart was still unbelievably kind and for that, he would defend her and her cause with his life. As he knew the others would.

Even if it meant allowing that Trowa near her.

"You really think so?" Quatre perked up.

"Yes," Rashid chuckled. "Miss Trowa never can seem to stay away for long, even if it is just to stop by."

He was a sap, and he loved seeing the girl happy.

"Then I would be glad for her company," Quatre said with a warm smile. "Now, let's get the lab set up. The reports coming out of Cacao are concerning me and Duo put finding a vaccine on a 'rush' order."

The two disappeared into the house, presumably to assemble the lab and house.

A couple of days later, a tall brunette moved into the house, grimly holding a newspaper. Hours after that, a Chinese woman hurried into the house frowning heavily, clutching the a similar newspaper.

* * *

Events are finally a rolling! XD Reviews are nice to have. Unbetaed, mention any typos to me.


	4. Chapter 3

The normal format isn't working for the title, so bear with me... :)

* * *

Chapter Three: _We are widening the corridors_

"I don't remember my parents. I think they're dead now, or at least my mom. Being female on L2 usually means you were a prostitute or someone's personal whore. The same thing really, except if you're lucky when you belong to someone you only have to put up with their demented ways and not complete strangers, if you don't count their friends anyways. Women die quickly as a result. The L2 colony is an unforgivable place to live no matter how you look at it. Some of the prettier boys suffered the same fate. Sex is never about just sex there. It's always about power.

"Solo and the gang found me abandoned on the streets. I couldn't have been more than a newborn. One of the guys said it was Solo's bleeding heart that made them take me in. I'm grateful they did. They were my first family. They named me twice, you know. First, I was just Girl but after I proved my worth, after I proved I could steal like the best of them, Solo noticed me. He was like my big brother. He taught me all sorts of things. Like how to move without making a sound and how to break into a house without leaving prints. He taught me how to fight too, said a girl like me needed to know how to defend herself. I'm lucky they picked me up instead of leaving me to die on the streets like a hundred before me.

"I named myself Duo to honor him after he…after he died. I never wanted to forget him and the kindness he and the gang showed me.

"Sister Helen found me next. I was sick, but she still brought me to the orphanage. I will never forget her for it. She should have left me on the streets. I could've made the other sick. She should have left me to die like the others. But she didn't.

"I was too sick to tell her my name, so she called me My Angel until I got better. After I got better, I met Father Maxwell and I learned how to read and write. I learned my mathematics. I flourished under them. They became my parents, better than the ones that abandoned me. I loved them. They were going to adopt me, you know. Father Maxwell, he gave me his gold cross. Said I was God's gift with my ability to smile despite my life's trials. That I was a blessing to their lives.

"I miss them."

And so passed Duo's vigil.

She spoke of her life. The things she saw and did. It didn't matter that Heero only heard some of it. Being able to fill the silence calmed her erratically beating heart and she liked to believe her voice kept Heero asleep. She only wanted her partner better, for the world's sake and a nudging voice mentioned it was also for _Duo's _sake. How many more people could she stand to lose before she went insane? Duo didn't want to find out anytime soon...But Saturday.

Saturday night, Duo hadn't left the room in two days.

Saturday night, Heero began to shiver uncontrollably.

Saturday night, Duo crawled into Heero's bed in shorts and a tank top to keep her warm.

The past two days, Heero rarely opened her eyes. It was a feat to get food down the girl's throat when her eyes did flutter open. She took a turn for the worse - a fever consuming the girl. Duo ignored the constant beeping of Heero's laptop, ignored the entire outside world. She was completely devoted to coaxing Heero back to health. She couldn't lose another.

_Solo..._

Internally, rationally, Duo knew she should have been checking the laptop for messages from Quatre and completing the homework assignments Selena had dropped by Friday afternoon. Quatre might have a break through to announce, or she could tell Duo how to treat the disease more effectively. The Winner heir, however, could also deal a death blow and tell Duo Heero only had days left – that all of Duo's efforts were wasted. Information she should know but was too weak to handle.

That was her answer to everything.

She was too weak to leave Heero's side for longer than ten minutes. It terrified her to think that Heero would need her while she wasn't there, or die alone in the one moment Duo was gone. She was too weak to complete the homework assignments, instead preferring to curl in the chair with a blanket draped over her shoulders next to Heero's bed while she listened to the other girl's breathing. She was too weak to fight the disease taking a hold of her body.

Friday, when she had been changing, she found a bullet graze on her shoulder. Duo could only assume the wound occurred when she had been leaving the base. It was the only conclusion she could come to, staring at her reflection in the mirror. If it had been bullets that had flown in the light of the explosion and debris, a little pain never would have blipped on her radar. She would have ignored it in light of the events.

It was something to be concerned with later – to ignore until later.

********

**

* * *

**

Trowa inclined her head in greeting, the flip of brown hair falling over her eye.

Quatre was envious of Trowa's looks for a few reasons. One, the girl was so tall! Some of the other girls her age that Quatre's father had hoped she would cultivate friendships with - due to their wealthy fathers - used to always complain that tall girls were lucky, because they had the height to qualify to be models. At the time, Quatre hadn't known what the hell they were talking about, but after seeing Trowa for the first time, she had known.

Trowa's height made the girl stand straight, confidence oozing off her almost as strongly as the aura of grace that vibrated off her. The next reason would Trowa's thick brown hair. Trowa may not keep it as long as Duo kept hers, but it did reach her shoulders and Trowa rarely pulled the hair back unless it was in a loose ponytail or required for the mission. Lastly, the other girl never needed to tan. Trowa had darker skin than Quatre simply because she was of Latina descent. How was that fair in any world?

"I was just reviewing the virus Duo sent me." Quatre explained at the sight of Trowa's inquisitive green eyes. "I already dispatched the virus to the scientists and the rebel groups have been put on the alert."

"Yes, I've heard." Trowa said.

Quatre beamed at the other girl even as her mind tried to figure out what Trowa had already heard. Had she heard that Duo had obtained the virus? That the scientists were working on a vaccine like she was? Or that the rebels had attacked the space docks and ports to keep the infected off the colonies? Or maybe that Heero had been infected herself? But, Quatre loved the challenge of figuring Trowa out.

"Would you like company while you work?" Trowa said as she moved closer to Quatre.

Visibly startling, Quatre tried to keep the shock off her face. Never before had Trowa offered to keep Quatre company. More often than not, it was Quatre who had to initiate everything in their budding relationship.

"Sure," Quatre beamed.

The house, as aforementioned, was filled with steel furniture that would be cleaned everyday with bleach. The kitchen in which Quatre set up her lab was no different. Everything was steel, including the chairs.

Trowa took a sit in front of the blonde girl and her green eyes gleamed in a way that reminded Quatre of a content cat.

"Have you been able to analyze the virus yet?" Trowa asked.

"No," Quatre shook her head. "And worse, I can't get a hold of Duo. I think she's ignoring me, or – or worse."

"You think Duo has died?" Trowa's green eye flickered without Quatre's notice.

Quatre grew silent for a moment, staring at the steel counters. "I've looked at the notes Duo and Heero sent. The virus is bad, almost as a bad as the sponsor that supported it. It wasn't even done before they started injecting people with it." Quatre looked sorrowful at Trowa. "The disease always ended in death in the trials. Sometimes, there would be 'mutations.'"

Trowa's gaze rested entirely on Quatre and the blonde girl wondered if she could tell Trowa the horribleness of the situation objectively. "Tell me the symptoms."

"A fever starts," Quatre started slowly. "Until it begins to fry parts of the brain and internal organs. The lucky test subjects died at this stage. The unlucky ones began to develop purple sores, their skin was dissolving – eating itself. Due to the fever eating the brain – most predominantly the section that controls thought, inhibitions and self-control – the test subjects would become more instinctually prone. Crime rates went up 20 percent in that one city alone. Rape and murder being the largest crimes committed. I've looked into the official police reports. It happened so fast they didn't know how to react. The crimes are a result of the brain's inability to control emotions and the actions spurred by those actions."

"And Heero is infected," Trowa closed her eyes in sadness.

"Yes," Quatre confirmed. "Duo would never know of the change until the moment Heero is trying to kill her."

"How...unfortunate."

"Worse yet, the body reanimates the body." Quatre whispered sadly.

"Duo would be forced to kill Heero twice." Trowa nodded in understanding.

* * *

Before Wufei could join her two comrades at the safe house, she clicked on her mission folder.

She glanced around her surroundings suspiciously before returning her eyes to the mission outlined on the screen. Wufei didn't feel particularly strong about her comrades. To her, they were a means to an end. She had to avenge her colony, her family and mostly importantly, her husband.

They were nice enough she supposed, but in her – their – world nice couldn't always cut it. Quatre had such a weak heart with her empathic abilities that Wufei couldn't help but second guess the scientists for believing Quatre was acceptable as a Gundam pilot. The blonde was weak. Practically a bleeding heart. The only one possibly worse than the blonde was Duo Maxwell.

Wufei sneered at her memory of the playful pilot. The girl was stupid and didn't know how to take things seriously. It enraged her to know that Maxwell was considered a pilot when she deserved it the least. She didn't listen to anyone. She had no respect! The girl made her blood boil, a secret Wufei was well aware the brunette knew if the smirks she sent meant anything.

The other two pilots, Wufei didn't have a real problem with except that they were so indecent. She understood that to Heero, completing a mission was her number one goal. But it was still so wrong for the Japanese girl to willingly take men to her bed to complete her missions. The same went for Trowa! She respect that the two females wanted to accomplish their goals so badly that they were willing to lower and debase themselves, but she couldn't condone it. It was disgusting. Sex was only meant for their husbands, if at all.

Even in light of her detachment with the other pilots, the mission outlined to her by the scientists disturbed her.

They wanted to turn her into a rat.

* * *

Whatever Duo had been doing, it seemed to be working. Heero was improving. It was enough to make the proclaimed God of Death to weep.

"You aren't allowed to die," Duo continued to talk. She had been talking for hours – to keep herself awake, to keep Heero company. "My best friend Solo died because he got sick. You aren't allowed. Dr. G thinks that the plague did something screwy to my genetics, did I ever tell you that? Yeah, he thinks that's why I lived.

"I heard your genetics are kinda screwy too. All advanced or some shit." As her words flowed, Duo checked the unconscious girl. She wiped the sweat off of Heero's face and neck. As an afterthought, Duo counted the girl's pulse. It was going much slower than it used to be. She could almost believe the girl's core temperature was lowering back to normal degrees. "You caught me," she chuckled. She undressed quickly and dressed into new clothes to crawl back in bed with Heero to keep her fevered body warmer than the blankets could, and if the move kept her own feverish skin warm, who was going to complain? "I didn't hear about so much as I hacked your computer files. It took me days to figure out."

"Good," came a weak response. "I personally encrypted those files."

"Heero!"

Duo quickly scrambled to sit up in the bed and snatch the pills and water on the dresser between the two twin beds. Before Heero could become accustomed to her surroundings, Duo had already shoved the pills in her mouth and urged her to swallow. Coughing at the manhandling, Heero glared weakly at Duo.

"How long have I been out?" Heero asked and her voice was raspy and thick with disuse.

"Long enough to need a shower," Duo teased. "You should go take one while you're awake. Do you think you'll need my help?"

Duo watched Heero narrow her blue eyes in thought and with a jolt of pleasure Duo watched the girl nod in affirmative. With a (now) hidden pleasure, Duo helped the girl get out of bed. They had to fight with sheets and covers, Duo making a note to herself to change the bedding, before they would release Heero.

Heero was stronger than Duo expected, especially for someone who had spent more than a week in bed sweating their life out and frying their brain cells. She leaned slightly on Duo, her legs slightly shaky, but otherwise, the girl mainly supported herself.

"Can you handle the shower by yourself?" Duo asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Heero nodded.

"Great," Duo smiled. "I'll get you a fresh set of clothes while you shower."

Getting the sick girl more clothes wasn't the only thing Duo did. She cleaned up the room, gathering trash to throw away and stripping the bed of sweat stained sheets. She didn't want to leave the little room she had cooped herself up in for the past few days, but Duo knew it was necessary if only to obtain clean sheets.

"I'll be right back Heero, okay?" Duo called through the bathroom door. She heard a grunt and with that, Duo left.

She wondered with dazed amusement, how long Heero would let her continue to stifle her. She was already being more patient that Duo had believed she would have been. Almost understanding of Duo's hovering.

Twisting the key in the lock, Duo turned her attention back to the dorm hallway. It was strangely deserted. The lights were flickering overhead, like they had been left on too long. Duo ignored the need to investigate the situation further. Heero still needed her and she needed to get rid of the sheets and trash. She took care of that first and then she moved on to finding clean sheets for the bed. It wasn't terribly difficult. She remembered the first day she had arrived at the school and a prissy blonde showed her around.

Strangely, no one was there, so she helped herself.

The unease was building in her gut and Duo knew something was undeniably wrong. She hurried back to the dorm room.

* * *

Her feeing of impending doom seemed to have been off.

Heero was sitting in the chair next to her bed, wearing more layers of clothing than Duo had left on the toilet in the bathroom. The pale and sweaty face Heero had been wearing was replaced by a pale and healthier looking skin; although, healthier didn't really mean anything in this situation expect that Heero didn't look ready to keel over. It was such a great relief to see Heero better. Duo flopped on the chair next to the other pilot, slowly allowing her body to relax.

"I've checked my laptop for messages." Heero said. Duo glanced over at Heero, her relief turning into disinterest. "Quatre was worried, for the both of us." Duo ignored the silent implications of that statement. Heero wouldn't voice her displeasure because Duo technically didn't do anything wrong. Whatever questions the Japanese girl had for Duo would never be voiced. It was just how Wing's pilot operated. "Trowa and Quatre believe they may have found a cure, although they are still unsure. It needs to be tested."

"That's good," Duo shrugged. She felt oddly boneless. And hot.

Heero sighed and let the subject drop. If Duo didn't want to answer, she wouldn't. They both knew it.

"Quatre believes that when Dr. J enhanced my genetics, he also enhanced my immune system to the point it was able to fight off the virus like the common cold." Heero offered as an explanation and peace offering.

"Nifty," Duo grinned. "Wish I had one of those."

The dread in her stomach uncoiled, spreading into the rest of her body. Duo resisted frowning but only barely.

"We should leave tomorrow; we've wasted enough time here as it is." Heero continued like Duo never spoke which was of the norm for the two.

"Whatever you want, I've been waiting for your butt to get better." Heero's face twisted briefly in anger at the reminder of her body's weakness. Duo smirked in return.

They passed the day packing their meager possessions and disinfecting the room and bathroom. They stayed silent for the most part. Heero was still feeling weak from her illness and not having the energy to argue with Duo. Why Duo stayed silent, only she knew. But the few times she did speak, Heero was curious note the raspy sound to it – like she had spent days talking. As much as Heero wanted to interrogate the girl, she didn't.

* * *

Feeling her abdominals squeeze together so hard that they ached, Duo gagged. Her hand trembled as she attempted to push her bangs off her sweaty forehead. The other hand held her body above the toilet. When she had pushed her bangs off her face to her satisfaction, the girl flushed the toilet and watched the mess go down.

She gagged again and her muscles squeezed tightly. Bad mistake watching the swirly motion of the water…

Nothing more was coming out and still her body insisted on forcing everything in her stomach out, including stomach acid that made her throat burn.

The bathroom door open and the light from the bathroom spilled out into the dorm room. Duo glanced up and stared miserably at Heero. "You've been infected."

Heero didn't even get the chance to take a step into the bathroom before Duo's stomach decided to try and expel her guts. Duo let out a miserable moan.

Fucking hell.

At least the dread from before had an explanation. She hadn't lost her touch at all. What a relief.

* * *

Kinda, rushed and forced feeling, but that's because it kinda is. No matter what I tried this chapter wouldn't move. Hopefully everyone has more insight into the characters and next chapter will be from Heero's POV. Thank you for the alerts and reviews! XD And I got one of those horrid job things so updates may be slow.


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